China has no ambition of invading other countries or interfering in their affairs through military force, the new Chinese ambassador to Manila declared in a discussion with media in Makati City over the weekend.

Ambassador Ma Keqing said these were not part of the intention of her government in increasing its military budget this year as she sought to assuage fears that Beijing poses a threat to other nations.

“What we want to do is to protect China’s interest, protect its borders and sovereignty… that’s all,” said the lady ambassador. “We have no intention or ability to pose threat to other countries.”

The Chinese government’s published 2012 military budget is about $106.4 billion, the second largest in the world and up about 11.2 percent from 2011.